MN / Burnsville-Black Dog - 2009-13

[birdcamfan]

Good point. It probably happens more than we know. We ended up with a small duck in out fireplace last year. (Imagine our surprise). It had already died by the time we discovered it unfortunately. We've also had smaller birds like sparrows that have managed to get out or we removed them. Far cry from an industrial smokestack but same idea on a smaller scale I guess.

[The Peregrine Chick]

It's not just that industry, it happens at lots of tall smokestacks.  We've lost I think 4 Manitoba birds down three stacks in the City - or at least those are the four I know about.  One was our oldest peregrine on record (18 years), at least one was a chick as I recall.  Had to retrieve one from the exhaust of a paint booth on the roof of the Eaton's Building once - bird was alive/fine - got her eyes cleaned out and re-released her.

Its not tough, bird lands on edge of stack, slips and falls, fall either kills, stack is too narrow for flight or wide enough but young birds suck at vertical flight and can't get out.  All of our birds were intact as I recall ...

[birdcamfan]

That's very interesting and it is heartening to see that the industry is trying to respond to these ongoing major losses.

[Alison]

Alison, do you mean the chicks from this year?  They only have one left?  This years chicks, not last years fledglings?  Wow - how does that happen?  I don't even know what a gas turbine stack is.   

No, Liz, I don't mean this year's chicks, who just hatched during the last few days. I was referring to three of last year's four beautiful chicks.

Here is more info on gas turbines, from Bob Anderson's blog earlier this year:

"Xcel Energy Blackdog plant Eagan, MN: Once again we have falcons back at this nest box located 620’ up on the stack. In 2008 we found the remains of the aggressive adult female Nora along with the remains of an immature falcon at the bottom of a gas turbine stack. Recently, the remains of three of last year’s progeny were found in this same place. My first reaction was to pull the nest box to prevent future deaths. However, in giving it more thought, I felt that we need to address this problem for the entire industry as more and more power plants are switching from coal to this type of gas turbine facility. Dan Orr has located some large spikes made by a company in England. The spikes are designed to deter birds from perching. We are hoping to install these spikes to the top rim of the 320’ stack to discourage falcons from perching. The gas turbine plant is what is called an off peak plant. When there is increased need for electricity for air conditioning in the summer and heat in the dead of winter is when this turbine comes on line. When not in use, the rim of the 320 stack is a perch. Our hopes are to find a way to deter falcons/birds from this problem area and to make recommendations to the manufacturer of this design of electric turbine generation facility."

I've been asking about the progress on the pigeon spikes. I just don't want to see any more juvies lost in this way.

I came across an article on the same kind of problem affecting hawks yesterday:

http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/d0086-BC-NY-ScorchedHawks-ADV25-1stLd-Writethru-05-22-1131

[Liz]

Alison, do you mean the chicks from this year?  They only have one left?  This years chicks, not last years fledglings?  Wow - how does that happen?  I don't even know what a gas turbine stack is. 

[allikat]

I've been watching....

Love pic # 4...smile, you're on camera!

[Alison]

2009 NESTING SEASON

The falcons at the Black Dog nest are both there for their second year. The female was recently identified as Mandy Rose, band black/green 30/D, born at the Xcel Monticello nest in 2004. The male has a purple band on his right leg, and black/green on the left, but he has not yet been identified.

In their first year, they had four chicks, who all fledged successfully. Tragically, earlier this year the bodies of three of the four chicks were found at the bottom of a gas turbine stack, where the bodies of the former female, Nora, and another juvenile peregrine had been found in 2008. Attempts are being made to come up with a solution to prevent this from happening again.

The first two chicks hatched on May 22, the third on May 22-23, and the fourth on May 24.

Mandy Rose with the babies:

 

I think this is Dad. Mandy Rose has a more rounded malar stripe, while Dad's malar stripe is somewhat tapered, and he has really big eyes.